The Stranger Next Door by Miranda Barnes Page B

to keep them from you for long even if I had some.'
    Pippa shook her head. 'You didn't tell me.'
    'About what?'
    'Daniel Ferguson.'
    Anna stared at her.
    'Daniel Ferguson,' Pippa repeated. 'You didn't tell me what a lovely man he is.'
    'Pippa! Every time I've seen you, I've …. I'm sure I have!'
    'No, you haven't. You've only told me about his injuries, and before that about his dreadful habits – gardening in the night, and so on.'
    'Well, I told you how brave he is. You know what he did for us when the kitchen caught fire.'
    Pippa picked up a tin of marrowfat peas and peered ostentatiously at it.
    'What?' Anna asked.
    'Horrible things, these, but Derek and the kids seem to like them. Personally, I wonder if there's any difference between marrowfat and mushy. What do you think?'
    'I'll crown you, Pippa, if you don't stop playing games. What on earth did you mean about Daniel?'
    'Well …. You didn't tell me how fond you are of him, and you didn't tell me how infatuated he is with you.'
    Anna stared, unable to think, let alone reply.
    'You're a lucky girl, Anna. He's a lovely man.'
    'Oh, Pippa! What absolute rubbish you talk at times.'
    Pippa laughed. 'Don't tell me if you don't want to. That's all right. Don't tell me anything. I just wanted to say I'm pleased for you.'
    'I'm a widow, for goodness' sake, Pippa – with two young children!'
    'I'm pleased for you,' Pippa repeated, turning away to head for the fresh bread shelf, where she was far too late to be lucky.
    Anna stared after her, and wondered if it could possibly be true. Was Pippa right?
    Well, she had to acknowledge, Pippa was right about one thing. She did like Daniel. She really did. Pippa was right about him being a lovely man, too. He was.
    But that was as far as it went. She had tried not to let herself think about Daniel as anything but a neighbour and a friend. And a hero, she reminded herself with a wry smile. A wounded hero, at that.
    She was drawn to him. She knew that. But it hadn't occurred to her to think that her feelings might be reciprocated. She hadn't dared. Since she'd been left on her own, she had always assumed that that part of her life was over. Besides, she'd been too busy.
    Now she wondered. She thought about what Pippa had said. She wondered if there was any way Pippa could possibly be right, and she wondered if she wanted her to be right. It was as if her world was turning upside-down – and she felt exhilarated about it.

 
    Chapter Eighteen
     
    But there were other matters pressing hard. The driving test was one. And looking for a job was another.
    Daniel accompanied her to the test centre when the big day came. She drove carefully and concentrated hard.
    'Relax!' he told her. 'You've nothing to worry about.'
    'You don't think so?'
    He shook his head. 'Outside of a Challenger Main Battle Tank I've never had such a comfortable ride.'
    'Oh, you!'
    But it worked. It made her laugh, and laughing relaxed her.
    'They want you to pass,' Daniel told her. 'They don't want to fail you. Just do what you do every day I come out with you, and you'll be fine.'
    She had her doubts. But she trusted him. And she did try to drive as she normally did.
    'When she emerged from the test centre, Daniel took one look at her face and said, 'I don't need to ask, do I?'
    She laughed and shook her head. He gave her a hug.
    'What now?' he asked.
    'Next I'm going to talk to a man about a job.'
    'Oh?' He looked at her with surprise.
    She gave her old boss, Mr. Graham, a ring at the bank and had a good chat with him.
    'Come in, Anna! Come in to see us – any time.'
    'I can, now I've passed my driving test.'
    'Excellent. We'll be pleased to see you.'
    'I assumed you would have forgotten all about me by now? It's been so long ….'
    'Nonsense!'
    Mr. Graham went on to say that she knew most of the staff, and they certainly remembered her. They had all been desperately sorry to learn about poor Bob. In fact, only the other day Marion had wondered how she was getting